Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

are they twins?

By Rachel Ostlie

It began when my son was 5 months old and my daughter was 21 months. The very first time that a stranger casually asked, “Are they twins?” At first my reaction was one of shock. Twins? I know that they were in a double stroller so you couldn't see the height difference (as if Little Baby could even stand at this point) but twins? Seriously?

Then again, it's no surprise that we Baby Bunchers are assailed with this question... after all, the number of twin births has risen by 50 percent in the past three decades*. On the other hand, Bunching your children saw a sharp downturn with the advent of oral hormonal birth control in 1960. So two adorable babies are generally assumed to belong to the multiples category. Right?

Honestly, I don't know what I answered on that day. Probably some variation of what I have answered the other hundred thousand times I've fielded that question at a school, library, church, or any other public area: “No.” If they were lucky, I might have said something spectacular after that, like “Umm...This one is older, that one is younger.”

Which brings me to an honest plea, sent out to the whole Baby Bunching community. Perhaps it stems from the fact that my petite firstborn daughter will surely be shorter than her linebacker large brother by the time they are four and three, respectively. But more likely, it comes from my desire to look clever. To have something better to say that just, “Um... no.” I would like to have a pre-formulated answer to give to all the casual strangers wanting to know if my kids cutesy twins or not. Ideally, it should be a sentence long, roll off the tongue easily, and be somewhat witty. Please, will anybody out there help me?

Rachel is the happy mother of two adorable children who are not twins, ages 3 and 1.5. She also really wants to be clever.

*National Vital Statistics Reports - Volume 48, Number 3 - from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

thou shalt not covet

By Rachel Ostlie

Sixteen months. Barely a blink of an eye for an adult. Far too short, in most people's minds, to be a reasonable gap between two children. But it's incredible how much the baby gear world changes in that tiny time frame.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I did my research. A lot of research. I read all the parenting magazines, trolled through the baby websites. I asked advice from my mother and mother-in-law. I made a questionnaire and sent it out to all my mommy friends, asking them their opinion on cloth vs. disposable, infant carrier vs. baby wearing, umbrella stroller vs. pimped-out buggy.

Then came the second pregnancy, with further research. Another car seat. A double stroller. More diapers. I chose what I was certain were the best options, then scoured ebay and Craigslist to find the best deals.

Somehow, through all that, I became a guru to some. The person to go to when you want to know what detergent to use with cloth diapers, or what double stroller to buy, or the merit of various baby wearing options. Not wanting to rely on past research, I continued to research, read blogs, and keep up with the new options. And sixteen months after the birth of Little Baby, I found myself with a dilemma... EVERYTHING WAS BETTER. The world of baby gear had moved on without me, and I had been left in the dust. Though I once loved my Beco Butterfly baby carrier, and would crow its advantages to anyone who would listen, I now had a huge crush on the Beco Gemini (ergonomic, with outward and inward facing options for the baby. And a hip hold, along with the front and back standard options). And where I once drooled over my Phil & Ted's Sport, and could not imagine a more perfect stroller for my bunch, I now coveted the Baby Jogger City Select (with it's sleek lines and seemingly endless configurations).

Almost makes you want to have another baby, just so you can have an excuse to buy the newer, nicer things.

Thankfully, I'll be moving out of the country in the next eight months, and finances are tight, so all these new things I am coveting over aren't really an option. Though, I must admit... I still bid ridiculously low on ebay, in the vague hope that I might still get my latest baby gear crush.

Anybody else in the same boat? What is your baby gear crush? A $500 baby bag/purse? An amazing double stroller? Luxury baby bedding? A silver teething ring? If we can't give in, at least we can commiserate...

Rachel is a baby-bunching mom of a 3-year-old daughter and a 19-month-old son. She lives in the Chicago area, and would gladly appreciate a donation toward her dream Baby Jogger City Select.

shall I say congratulations?

By Mrs.Notouching, Diaper Monologues

You know that mom at your playground with three kids that always looks like she just stepped out of a magazine cover? Me neither. The truth is that there just comes a time in your life when sleeping through the night, eating in peace and wearing high-heals just gets old. At least that's what happened to me. How hard can it be to take care of a seven-pound roommate?! Well... it was harder than expected, but at the same time more enjoyable than we had ever imagined. By the time Leila was 9 months I was back to taking daily showers, which to me was a clear sign from the universe that we were ready for another baby. 

"Oh, honey, you don't want TWO toddlers! Wait a few years, relax..." said my childless OB/GYN. 

"Stop this nonsense baby-talk! Wait until Leila is older so that she can help you a little." spoke my mother from experience of having her 10-year old practically raise a baby while everybody went back to work. And trust me, trying to look cool when you are 13-years old is hard enough without having a 3-year-old attached to your leg. So I took their advice with a grain of salt... and a pitcher of margarita.

It was a textbook conception -  I calculated my ovulation, emailed my husband which day he needed to be home early, kept my legs up for 20 minutes, 2 weeks later I peed on the stick and voilà- baby #2 is in the oven! Fireworks! Champagne! Parade! Oh wait... that was the reaction I got the first time. This time?

"You are pregnant AGAIN? ... Congratulations...?"

"You are so brave!"

"Wow! I couldn't do it."

"Congratulations.... but are you CRAZY?!"

Well OK, the "crazy" part came in only after I clarified that we conceived this baby entirely sober and completely aware we had a 9-month old sleeping in another room.  I never had an illusion that it will be easy-breezy-beautiful, but hearing all those reactions does make me question myself a little bit.

Is having two under two that crazy? Maybe I am living in a bubble of denial thinking that I can do it, that my marriage can survive this, and I can raise two perfectly healthy and happy kids. Maybe. But for now I just want to bask in my hormone-induced happiness and beautiful boobs that are finally slowly but surely filling in cup A - a few more weeks and it will make a perfect birthday gift for my husband.

Daiva, also known as "Mrs. Notouching" because if you pronounce her last name correctly, it sounds like "no touching" is a SAHM mom to one child born March 2009 with her second child due August 2010. She lives in California and blogs at the Diaper Monologues.   

grocery shopping: because we all have to eat

This post came as a response to a question from my mom's group asking about how to take two under two grocery shopping. Some painful memories here at the many configurations for this question:

--Bjorn/sling baby, toddler in cart seat
--Toddler in front of cart, baby in carseat in back
--Double seats
--Baby in front, toddler in back of cart with toys/food
--Baby in front, toddler in car cart
--Leave both kids at home with a sitter!

Many suggestions came in, but one of my favorite (IRL) Baby Bunching friends, Carol Amie, emailed this to the group and she's just so damn funny that I wanted to share her tips. Her first two are 15 months apart, last two are 23 months apart. (It's a bit long, but worth the read for some great, funny tips.)

Start with a meal plan so you know exactly what you need and what you've already got at home when you make your list~in the store with two screaming kids is not the time to try to remember if you have that can of special tomatoes in the pantry and if you don't plan for the whole week you'll find yourself enduring twice the torture to get to the weekend with food in the fridge.

Now, logistics for the store: when it was just the first two I alternately wore one and put the other in the seat of the cart. I let (my oldest) choose which one he preferred right up until the younger one outgrew the bucket at about 3 months and went with it because it was an easy way for him to be appeased. Then I wore younger child in the sling and put him in the seat for a while because she couldn't sit up. Added bonus, she could nurse while I shopped and it made it a much less stressful race against the clock sort of outing. I also offered treats to anyone capable of eating finger foods while we shop. Probably not the coolest move as far as the store in concerned but something not too messy that requires a lot of chewing keeps them busy.

With the carts, our method now varies depending on the types available--double car-carts mean that the Bigz drive together and the baby is either in the sling or the seat.

The best option though is the cart at Harris Teeterwhich has the 5-pt harness for two big kids, as well as a baby seat facing them...all three kids keep each other entertained and with them much closer to me than in the car-carts I have a better shot at keeping the Bigz under control.

For places like Target with just two kids, I would use the double stroller but bring the sling. If I happened to fill the hand cart hung on these, as well as the lower basket of the stroller then I could put a kid in the sling and use their part of the stroller for the jumbo pack of toilet paper.

For a super quick trip I also found that hand carts hooked perfectly right over the handles of a basic $15 Walmart umbrella stroller making it easy to get in and out for milk, bread, eggs. Or that quick trip to the deli for a ready made dinner because it had been one of "Those days." Again, wearing the baby makes it possible. You do have to remember though that it can make the stroller top heavy so if you overfill the thing, your kid could get a surprising ride as the stroller tips over. No, I am not saying that ever happened to me, but I will say 2 gallons of milk is probably a danger for the average 18 month old.

Forget about huge grocery savings for the first year. Find a store that has decent non-sales prices and make it THE go-to store. Then you know exactly where everything is, how to find it and how to spell out your list in order of the aisles to make it as fast as possible. I actually keep a legend for all of the stores at home because I could call my husband on his way home and say "please pick up X that you'll find in aisle 10 at Giant on your way home" if I forgot something. Because you will forget something.

Next it is important to find a time when said store is relatively slow that also happens to coincide with a good non-napping, non-hungry, non-evening bewitching hour for her kids and make that her regular grocery time...if you can happen to sync that up with a good checker (I *loved* Sylvie in the no tabloids, no candy aisle of Shoppers when Tara was little) then you'll have the grocery trifecta.

Still, you should allow yourself a good cry in the parking lot now and then because we've all got to eat but shit happens.

day in the life of a baby buncher

One reader wrote in asking about a typical Baby Buncher day. The difficult thing is that no day is ever the same because babies/toddlers change so much. One minute all the trial and error has paid off and you get it all right. And the very next day, someone decides they are ready for solids, a big boy bed or hates the stroller and all bets are off again.

So here is one day, an early day, which I actually documented. (Alex was not yet two. Anna was six months old.)  Consider this a Baby Bunching Day in the Life Meme. Post one on your blog and come back and let us know here. We'll repost all the links at the end.

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6:30 a.m.My day started at sunrise. Both kids like to wake as soon as the sun peeks through their window. This has launched me into high gear to find some black out shades quickly before our all-day lightness hits. (We're in Sweden at this point.) So we all got up, changed diapers and began the breakfast routine.

7:00. Alex chows down on cereal. His first breakfast because as you know, he's part Hobbit and will need second breakfast at a most inconvenient time. Anna begins her slow eating. Most mornings I can feed Alex, myself, clean up the dishes all while doling out solids to my youngest at a snail's pace. By the time she's wrapping up her breakfast, Alex is back for more.  

8:30. Anna goes down for a morning nap. Today was Tuesday, which meant it was playgroup day. Whew....only a few hours to kill, and we would be off for at least two hours of easy fun where I just had to sit and drink coffee while Alex played. But I needed to bring a snack to share. I had nothing to bring, so I quickly made some banana muffins. This is highly unusual, but I had the ingredients and it only takes a little time so while Anna napped, I quickly made those. (Considered it an activity with my oldest.) Alex and I read, I got dressed, put on make up (hey, it's a morning out with girlfriends, might as well get dolled up).

10:05. I got Anna up, we got the car loaded up and the kids in their coats and I called my friend to tell her we were, as usual, running late. No answer. Hmmmmm, I thought. That's strange. But we kept getting ready.

10:20. I called again, now it was No answer. Strange, because playgroup started at 10. I ran upstairs to check the email. I read it wrong. Today was not playgroup. It was sledding at the park. Playgroup at her house was NEXT week. Damn! The muffins were made, the kids were ready, I was "make uped," Alex was talking about playing and I needed an activity. I called my friend on her mobile phone to get directions. No answer. ARGH. So I ran back upstairs and got the directions. I was all set to go and my friend called to tell me she was sick and not going and unsure of who was going. This park was a good 20 minutes away and Alex hates sledding so we abandoned the whole plan and I called another friend who was luckily just sitting at home. She asked me to give her 1/2 hour and we could come play.

11:00.. So the three of us went down to our town square and walked around since the sun was out.  Alex would not hold my hand while we crossed the street and threw a tantrum right there with everyone looking at me.

11:30. We went to our friend's house to play and have lunch. I brought muffins so I felt justified a bit in intruding. They played and played pretty nicely until Alex got tired. Alex started pushing and we decided to leave. But not without one last incident where he decided to head butt his friend's face and give her a bloody nose. Nice. After much apologizing and agonizing over the whole thing, we left.

1:00 p.m.Alex was bad the whole way home and I was so relieved to finally get them all down for a nap. Nap they did.

3:15. When everyone got up, I made them all play in bed for a bit because I was not ready for the long afternoon. I could hear Alex reading "Hungry Caterpillar" which I must say, he's able to almost recite. I kid you not! 

Ok, for the afternoon (keep in mind this is Sweden and the sun goes down in February at 4 p.m so we have to get out or lose our minds!), I had to go to the store to get some groceries and get more time added to my cell phone as it had run out. [Note: I realize now this is where I have lost my mind.]

4:00. I loaded the kids back into the car and off we went. We arrived at the cell phone store where we were third in the queue. Who knew it would take so damn long to add just a bit of time on. (I couldn't do it online since I didn't speak Swedish.) Alex was running around destroying the place, and Anna decided she was tired of the stroller and started screaming. So fun.

4:30 Got the time added and ran. We ran to the grocery which is in the mall. Grabbed a few items that I knew I needed, but lost my list. Everyone crying and fussing. Alex screaming to get up and Anna just screaming. I meant to stop and get white wine, which I really wanted right now, but no time.....we ran to the play area fo the mall. At least there he could play and she could drink her bottle. We get there. Alex is excited to play but immediately gets beat up by a 17 month old. He runs to tell me that the little boy pushed him. His mom and I talked for a bit and I explained that he had just spent three timeouts in the morning for the same thing so let her kid "bring it on!"

5:00. Alex finally decided enough was enough and was ready to go, but when I told him it was time he ran to hide from me. Anna was dressed in snowsuit and ready to go. Alex was hiding. We argued about leaving and he cried. She cried. I wanted to cry. I finally got him out of the playhouse and begged to walk to the door. I let him walk. About halfway to the door, he stopped and asked for my phone. I told him if he wanted my phone he would have to sit int eh stroller. No. He threw himself down in th middle of the mall and had a tantrum. As I bent down to pick him up, my period started right then and there....gushed!!!! I was like, shit we have to go right now. I picked him up SCREAMING and everyone looking at me. We walked outside, I strapped him in the stroller and ran to the car.

5:15. We drove home in frustration. And even more frustration when I realized I had to feed everyone. But at least we were home.

5:45. Manage to get some sort of meal on the table for the kids. Clean up and begin baths. In the middle of bathtime, my husband gets home to relieve me for a bit.

7:00. Anna is in bed. Alex follows not too long afterwards.

Do you see where the major issues are here? 1) Why would I make muffins? 2) After a crazy morning, I should have NEVER have gone back out. That was pure stupidity on my part! 3) If I did have to go out, I should not have stopped at the play area in the mall.

Consider this a Baby Bunching day in the life meme. You have been tagged! Post a "typical" or atypical day on your blog, come back and let us know here. We'll repost all the links here to offer some support to other Bunchers:

Baby Times Two: A Day in the Life

All You Need is Love: This was my day

A Bunch of Bensons: A Day in the Life

Home Alone with Kids: A Day in the Life

Family Oliver: A Morning in the Life

A Day in the Life of a New Mom

Lawerence Sandwich: Day in the Life

Michelle's Manical Musings on Mommyhood: We have survived 2 months of having 2 under 2!

baby bunching stages: baby on the move

New Baby is approaching the six-month mark and has started to fall into a predictable sleeping pattern.  No longer a wrinkly, red-faced, humorless, tyrannical newborn, he has likely grown into a chubby, bubbly, ball of fun that now provides the cooing and gurgling positive reinforcement that all parents crave.  Plus, now that you're getting a little sleep, the old brain cells have started working again and you're starting to feel like you've got a handle on things. 

Careful, old girl - isn't this about that stage where you found yourself pregnant again on the last go-round?

Yes, things have gotten easier, but don't get too comfortable because they are about to get harder than ever.  When we told you about the challenges of having two babies, we forgot to mention that one of the BENEFITS of having two babies in the beginning is that the youngest is, in some ways, much like a potted plant.  Largely content to stay in one place and await the next feeding and watering session, New Baby will always be right where you left him if you dare to leave the room for half a millisecond and come back. 

But now he has started to notice that there is a big, wide world out there and Big Baby seems to get to do a whole lot more exploring than he does.  He begins trying to keep up with Big Baby - creeping, crawling, pulling up, taking Big Baby's toys - even attempting to scale items such as coffee tables and stairways.  As if wanting to be on the go weren't enough, he now has an opinion.  Even the most laid-back, go-with-the-flow ("chill", in our house) babies start to realize around the six-month mark that if they want their opinion to be heard in the funny farm of a family in which they've landed, they'd better express it loudly and frequently. 

If this sounds familiar, it's because you likely already have one of these in your family, and his name is Big Baby.  Really, there is very little point in bothering to take down the baby gates or cribs, which will be permanent fixtures in your house until your kids graduate from college, it seems.  A little on what to expect at this stage:

• With New Baby falling into regular sleep patterns, you've likely found yourself stuck in the nap trap (we didn't coin it, but we love it!).  NOW is the time when you can start looking at sleep schedules and trying to tweak them to achieve the Holy Grail of Baby Bunching - overlapping naps.
• Since you likely spend a good part of your day in the kitchen feeding everyone, do yourself a favor and move the toys somewhere where you can see/hear the kids playing from the kitchen.  No, you won't host the next 20 Christmas dinners on a Leap Frog activity table instead of your grandmother's gorgeous dining set, but considering moving things around a little for a few years to accommodate your current daily reality.  We promise that you will be able to take back your living room in a few years and the convenience you gain in the meantime will be totally worth it.
• This stage is where we're a big fan of pre-packaged convenience foods  Generally speaking, we are opposed to these for both expense and environmental (wasteful packaging) reasons, but you need all the help you can get during this stage when you are busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.  Not that "convenience" means junky -- string cheese, applesauce cups, graham cracker sticks, pretzels, fruit leathers provide healthy options that you can grab-n-go quickly when you need to stash your diaper bag for an outing or even make lunch on the fly.
• Speaking of food, don't forget about mom.  This was the stage where Cara (never a waif-like girl) noticed that clothing from HIGH SCHOOL was hanging loosely on her (why she even still owned high school clothes is another post).  That's because you will find yourself so busy that it seems impossible to take time to feed and water yourself.  Cara started drinking Slim Fast or Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning, otherwise it would be mid-afternoon and she'd realize she had fed her body not one thing besides 5 cups of coffee.  We're not saying liquid diet is ideal or a long-term solution, but it's a bridge one - supplement with a banana and a granola bar and take your vitamins every day and you could almost call it a meal.
• This stage will be your first glimpse into sibling rivalry. When your little one can finally get himself to the puzzles, Little People, blocks, etc., Big Baby gets a fast lesson into what's "mine is yours." This is when the real action starts. Be ready for it.
• The double stroller becomes critical here.  Some hard-core baby wearers tote their kids in slings successfully until they start kindergarten, but this was the stage where it became uncomfortable for us.  The sling that had been our link to sanity in the earlier months suddenly became too heavy to haul around as baby approached the 15-20 lb mark.  Now's the time to get a double stroller if you don't already have one - you gotta have a way to pin everyone down in public.
• Speaking of strollers, realize that your outing M.O. will change here. What once worked when New Baby was unable to crawl, cruise or walk, will change. Chances are baby just hanging out in the stroller while your toddler conquers the mall play area will not be OK. You will now have two to watch and keep out of trouble. This is where the fun really starts! Getting in and out of the car will change as well since your New Baby will likely be pushing his way out of the infant carseat. (Tip: Keep baby in there as long as you can.)
• You've already got your momtourage lined up, right?  If not, GET ON IT.  You need them now more than ever to help you keep your sanity.  Bonus points if they will come to you and help turn the nap trap into a series of play dates.  Double bonus points if they will bring wine when they come.
• Per our last post, give up on your house.  Really.  If you haven't already, LET IT GO.  Certainly, keep it clean enough that you're not appalled when your babies crawl on the floor, but do not think that just because you are stuck at home all day while babies are napping that you will get jack shit done.  If you are a stay-at-home mom, you might as well be working an 80-hour week outside the home, for all your house looks like. In fact, working moms probably have cleaner houses at this stage of the game.  All that to say, it doesn't matter.  Don't kill yourself trying to be freaking Donna Reed - it's not possible and you will make yourself (and your kids) crazy trying.  We both found it so frustrating to be surrounded by mess that we couldn't control, coupled with an irrepressible urge to try to control it and be productive, that we finally ended up leaving the house whenever our kids weren't sleeping.  Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.
• Just so the child welfare authorities don't come knocking on your door and you don't end up in the loony bin, we do recommend a "re-set" each night.  AFTER (this part is key) your kids go to bed, clean the kitchen, sweep all toys into a basket, tidy your "hot spots" (mail center/desk/dining room table) if you have the energy, and throw in a quick load of laundry.  It's amazing what starting the day with just a clean living room and kitchen can do for your sanity.  Please, do not be tempted to straighten or deep clean any other rooms in your house - it is an exercise in futility, take our word for it.
• Finally, shipping Big Baby off even one morning a week to a Parent's Morning Out is nice at this stage.  Ask your momtourage for recommendations and find a good program that you feel comfortable with if you haven't already.

If you're starting to notice some themes here (get a good support system, find a good Parent's Morning Out, cut yourself some slack on the house), it's because we know our stuff, and we learned it the hard way.  Trust us.

the ϋber baby bunchers

Yesterday I took Alex to a make up soccer class. Same location. Different kids and WAY different moms.

I sat down with my kids and looked around. There were four moms--all obviously BFFs and not about to chat with me. But I started counting the kids, who all appeared relatively close in age. One, two, three, four . . . eleven, twelve, thirteen. Thirteen. Holy Crap. Thirteen kids for these four moms. As I began sorting them out into families, I noticed one had three under five. The youngest was about 2 1/2, and there was one in the between that one and the five year old. Another had at least three. The oldest child in this whole mix looked to be about seven and there was not a child under two.

I realized I was in the midst of Baby Bunchers--experienced ones at that. They were taking charge moms. The snack supply and drinks were endless. Crayons, books, video games, bribes all came out of their bags. They were regular Mary Poppins! These ladies had it together.

Then I hear from the mom next to me, "We signed you up for this class. it's a sport. You need to finish or you'll lose your Wii privilege." Ha!

All four moms sat calmly as their older kids played ball on their own (obviously too old for the 4-5 year-old class). The younger ones either sat on mom's lap or ran amok. No worries from these moms as little kids were run over by older ones. Or while the little ones tried to participate in class. I spent the time trying to get Anna to play quietly next to me. I should have just let her run around with other 11 kids who clearly weren't part of the class.

Nevermind that. I was amazed at these women handling all these kids--who all appeared to actually belong to each mom. They sat there laughing, joking, and enjoying themselves as if they were out for dinner with just friends.

I felt I was in the presence of Baby Bunching greatness.

even great grandmas get it

I just received this email from my friend, and fellow Baby Buncher, Sharon. I met Sharon through my mom's group when I dropped off dinner to her and her family. Like me, she seems to get herself in "fixes" quite often. I always thought I was the only one with stories like this, but clearly, I'm not.

I took Hannah and Henry to see their great grandmother who is 91 and lives in a independent retirement community. The place is fancy...an upscale community for seniors to live out their days with the comfort of assisted living in the same community. They eat all meals in a lavish dining room.  When great grand kids come to visit it is super special and all the residents gawk at each others kids yet in the same strange way look like they don't want them there invading their space.  My grandma was gracious enough to suggest having us over for Sunday brunch...the residents all dress their best for this brunch...men in coats and ties...and women in their best slacks and cardigans. 

Eating in a restaurant is tricky with a two year old and a ten month old....then add the mix of eating in a restaurant where you have to be on your best behavior.  My two kids couldn't have been more misbehaved for our special meal with Great Grandma.  Henry (10 months) was practicing his reaching skills and trying to get every last thing off the table including the table cloth...all while Hannah was trying to get out of her seat and trying to top Henry's screeches.  Mind you...this is all taking place with the eyes of all the surrounding seniors looking like they have never ever seen toddlers or babies.  I wanted to hide.  Really. 

So...just when I thought I couldn't handle it anymore a brilliant thought came to mind.  What about skipping the lunch and just giving Hannah a lollipop to keep her in her seat and quiet. This way I could semi talk to my grandma and tell her how wonderful things are going. It worked like a charm.  We were able to handle Henry and it kept Hannah quiet.  So when that lollipop was done I did what any other desperate mom would do in a situation like this...I gave her a second one.  Really how many lollipops could it possibly take to get to the end of the meal?  She soon realized she would get more the faster she ate them and began chewing them and wouldn't you know started choking!  Yes...in the middle of the lunch I had a gagging toddler on my hands and a screaming baby who was knocking over water glasses.  No sooner that I got her out of the seat she dislodged the piece of lollipop and gagged and then projectile puked all over the lavish dining room carpet.  Yes...there I stood...screaming baby in arms...toddler covered in puke and great grandma on oxygen and with her walker looking in shock from what just unfolded in her pristine dining room that rarely saw children.  Check please!  We cut the meal short and just left along with the table of four diners that were sitting next to us that were totally grossed out. 

On the walk back to my grandma's apartment she tried to make light of the situation and told me...you know I once lost your aunt Judy and didn't know she was missing until the neighbors returned her to me.  It was her own way of letting me know that she was able to survive having two so close in age.  My mom and my aunt are less than two years apart as well. It goes to show...you can survive and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! And one day you will be that grandma making your grandchildren feel like they are normal :)